MORRIS, Minn. – Just five days after the University of Northwestern and University of Minnesota Morris Women's Basketball teams battled to the final buzzer in each team's penultimate regular season game, Wednesday's rematch delivered the same level of drama. However, it required a furious fourth quarter comeback by the visiting Eagles to get it to that point. Northwestern trailed by as many as 14 in the second half, but were able to cut Morris's lead to just one with two minutes left before falling in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Semifinal, 70-65.
The Cougars got out to a quick 4-0 lead before
Jasmine Sondrol (Grand Forks, N.D./Red River) got UNW on the board with a bank shot.
Lexi Hagen (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) went off-glass with her left hand twice in three possessions to tie the game at six, then a
Rylie Hirschey (Pine River, Minn./Pine River Backus) three-pointer gave Northwestern its first (and ultimately, last) lead at 9-8. The Cougars then went on an 11-1 run to seize control of the contest before
Allison Terry (Blaine, Minn./Blaine) made a three with 20 seconds left in the quarter. Morris held a 19-13 edge through one.
UMM kept the momentum on its side as the second period began, scoring the first six points before
Taylor Schuck (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) threw a dime from halfcourt to Hagen for a layup to make it 25-15, Morris. Later on, Schuck buried a three to keep the deficit at 10 before giving way to
Ella Falk (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown), who scored the next five Northwestern points to make it 33-23, Cougars. Schuck found Hagen again with 24 seconds left for another left-handed jump hook to bring UNW within single digits at the half, 33-25.
Hagen got back to work in the third quarter, scoring twice in the opening 2:17 to trim the deficit to six. The Cougars pushed the lead back to 10, but
Livvy Grosz (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony) drained a corner three to bring the Eagles within seven at 39-32. Morris again responded, extending the lead to 12, before Falk threw a perfect bounce pass out of a triple team to Sondrol for an easy layup. UMM extended the lead to 14, their largest lead of the night, before the Eagles went on a 6-0 spurt, thanks to two Falk jumpers and a Terry layup off of a Sondrol steal. With 10 minutes to play, Morris held a comfortable, 55-45 lead in front of its home crowd.
The battle-tested Eagles weren't ready to see their season end, however.
Grace Landvik (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) opened up the final period with a steal and a layup, and 50 seconds later, Hagen drilled a three-pointer to pull within five. Morris answered with a bucket, but Schuck made a runner to once again cut the deficit to five. With 5:36 left, Falk made yet another mid-range jump shot, which was followed by a clutch Hirschey three the following trip to trim UMM's lead to 59-57. Falk stayed hot from mid-range, sinking three more in a row for UNW to trim the lead to one at 64-63 with 2:03 left. The Cougars got a layup to go up three, then the teams traded misses for the next three possessions. Northwestern appeared to play 30 seconds of perfect defense on Morris's ensuing trip, but the Cougars banked in a prayer of a three-pointer as the shot clock expired with 21 seconds left to go up two possessions at 69-63. Despite a Hagen layup at the buzzer, there was too little time remaining for Northwestern to climb back as they fell, 70-65.
The duo of Falk and Hagen led the way offensively for UNW with 17 points apiece. Both were active in other areas as well, as Hagen tallied nine rebounds and two steals, while Falk dished out two assists and grabbed 11 boards for her first career double-double. Terry and Hirschey each chipped in six points, with Terry adding a pair of assists. Schuck scored five points and tossed six dimes, while Grosz contributed five points and four rebounds. Landvik finished with five points, two assists and two steals.
Northwester's 2023-24 season concludes in the UMAC Semifinals with a 16-10 overall record and a sad farewell to five members of the team. The senior class of
Livvy Grosz (New Brighton, Minn./St. Anthony),
Bethany Lunke (Lakeville, Minn./United Christian Academy) and
Annika Dykstra (New Brighton, Minn./Avail Academy), as well as juniors
Taylor Schuck (Maple Grove, Minn./Heritage Christian Academy) and
Rylie Hirschey (Pine River, Minn./Pine River Backus), will be graduating from UNW in the spring. The seniors leave Northwestern as the winningest group of four-year players in the history of UMAC women's basketball at 42-8 (regular season). They also finished runners-up in the 2021 NCCAA National Tournament and made the 2023 NCAA Division III National Tournament, leaving behind an impressive legacy in St. Paul.
